


Someone to Stay

by becki



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Ableism, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon Autistic Character, Cuddles, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Mutual Pining, Nightmares, Pining, Sharing a Bed, Sleep Deprivation, Slow Burn, because they deserve it, just let these dorks in love be happy and sleep side by side ok
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:48:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25923880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/becki/pseuds/becki
Summary: Hordak knows his lab partner well enough by now, so he’s quick to notice Entrapta’s sudden shift in behavior. Less loud talking, less jumping around here and there with her hair, less excitement and liveliness.And while he initially tries to ignore it all and let whatever spell had taken over her pass, that doesn't exactly work out as planned when the sanctum suddenly goes dead silent one day.-(Set in late season 3)
Relationships: Entrapta/Hordak (She-Ra)
Comments: 39
Kudos: 253
Collections: Shera





	Someone to Stay

**Author's Note:**

> so i finished watching she-ra last month (and i’m actually on my 3rd rewatch now hehe) and i absolutely fell in love with these two science dorks. now, i have to express my love for them in the way i do best - writing! :)
> 
> basically, this is just a self-indulgent fic so i could write them cuddling and comforting each other. i’m a sucker for that stuff (and the angst that can follow before it >:))
> 
> also, please note! TW for mentions of past emotional child abuse and ableism

Despite all their similarities, there has always been some slight differences between Hordak and Entrapta.

Namely, they’re small things. Things that are only present because one is an alien clone, and the other is an Etherian princess with specific needs. 

For example, Hordak doesn’t really need to eat often, while Entrapta requires three meals a day or else her stomach rumbling will become almost obnoxious as they try to work. Another example is sickness - Hordak can’t catch the flu, common cold, or other sickness, while Entrapta had caught the stomach bug a month ago.

A last example is sleep - something that Hordak knew was a requirement for Etherians or else their work performance would suffer. Something that he knew humans enjoyed and found relaxing, if something other than a necessity. Something that should never be a problem for Entrapta.

And before recently, it wasn’t. 

Sure, Entrapta  _ did  _ always protest sleep - she would work late into the night and early in the morning while everyone else in the Fright Zone would be normally  sleeping. But of course, due to her human needs, she still always left to her sleeping quarters every night to get around six hours of sleep. It wasn’t the  _ optimal _ amount, but for Entrapta and her eagerness to work instead of rest, it was enough to power that always-running brain of hers.

But, now…

Something seems off with her.

It seems almost like...exhaustion?

Hordak has been working with her for quite some time. He knows her usual behavior in the lab - chatting nonstop, swinging around place to place with her hair, working with an air of general eagerness and excitement.

Yet, lately, her behavior seems to have shifted. Less loud chit chat and more mumbles under her breath. More walking around with her legs instead of her hair as if she can’t muster the energy to use the prehensile strands for support. Less eagerness and less excitement, as if the life once burning inside her was drained out. Even more, Hordak can’t help but notice the eye bags darkness under her ruby eyes, or the way she just can’t seem to stop yawning.

He tries to ignore it all. Think that maybe it’s just a phase she’s going through. He even starts to worry that maybe she’s just getting weary of this portal work. He wouldn't be surprised - most Etherians don’t have the willpower for this type of project. They don’t  _ understand.  _ Maybe his whole assumptions on how Entrapta is different were wrong, and maybe she’d rather go do some other insignificant deeds like all the other people on this backwater plant?

But then, one day, the whole sanctum goes dead silent.

Hordak’s ears perk up in surprise. He never realized the lab could get so  _ quiet _ before. He’s gotten so used to Entrapta’s nonstop talking - to Emily, her recorder, Imp, Hordak, and even herself - that the sudden silence throughout his lab is deafening.

He whips around, confusion clear on his features. His eyes dance around the sanctum like ricocheting bullets in search of Entrapta, worrying pounding through his veins the longer he goes without catching sight of her.

What if she hit her head on something and fell unconscious? What if she was upset and ran off, and Hordak had been too focused to notice? What if she electrocuted herself on the wires? What if she’s-

_ Oh. _

Hordak scoffs a little as his gaze finally locks onto Entrapta sitting quietly in the far corner of the room.

She seems to be...asleep?

Hordak puts away the tools he was using on a nearby table and walks over towards her, Imp soaring in the air right behind him as if equally intrigued. Before long, Hordak’s shadow drapes over Entrapta’s small frame. She’s slumped to the side against the adjacent wall, her eyes slipped shut and hair lifelessly draped upon the ground, and the pad she was using to record data is still held loosely in her hand but now rests on her lap.

Hordak watches as Imp screeches softly (well, as softly as his screeches go) before carefully perching on her one shoulder that isn’t smushed against the wall. He studies her for a moment before poking her in the cheek.

No response. She doesn't even flinch.

Imp looks to Hordak as he shrugs, his indifferent expression almost saying, “I don’t know what to do, but it’s  _ your  _ problem.”

Well…

It’s not a problem, is it?

He’s almost positive now she hasn’t been sleeping much lately, leading to this current demise, so perhaps it’s better for her to just remain here and catch up on some needed rest. She’s out cold by the looks of it, and she appears comfortable. Relatively. And she doesn’t seem to be disturbed by the sanctum’s various sounds and noises, or the way she has no blankets or pillows, or the way she’s still dressed in her usual attire of overalls, a welding mask, and sturdy shoes. She seems okay.

He should just let her be. Let her rest while he works. He can easily handle as such for one day - it’s not as if there’s much portal work left to do, anyway.

So, at that, Hordak turns around and leaves Entrapta to be. Imp follows suit, and together, they start their small trek back towards the front of his sanctum. He can still make some progress today, he’s sure. Maybe he could start with tweaking the current errors on the portal’s design today? Or maybe he could-

Hordak freezes in place. He growls to himself at the strange softness tugging at his heart, and the way his ears are drooping down against his will. He shakes his head, willing away the urge to turn back around.

For something about leaving her there like that to sleep feels  _ wrong  _ somehow.

And before he can stop himself, he’s turning back around.

He reaches Entrapta’s little corner, and as always, Imp is not far behind. He perches on Hordak’s shoulder and peers at him for a few moments - the creature’s stare burns into him, and Hordak quickly shoes him off before peeling his own eyes away to stare at the floor.

“Don’t look at me like that, you little-“

Imp screeches again, cutting Hordak off, before soaring away. Looks like he’s had enough of all this.

Honestly, so has Hordak. He doesn't even know what to  _ do  _ with her and how to make her more comfortable here. What, is he going to bring her a blanket from who knows where? Take off her uncomfortable shoes and welding mask, thus breaking boundaries that he probably shouldn’t cross? Carry her to her own room so she could at least have  _ that  _ comfort and-

Hm.

That’s not  _ too  _ bad of an idea, is it?

Hordak studies Entrapta for a moment, humming under his breath as he calculates how exactly to approach this. They haven’t really broken the touch barrier before - at least not directly. It’s always been Entrapta’s hair that touched him and never her hands, after all. And while that could still be considered touch, it’s not exactly _intimate._

Not like...Not like picking her body up and carrying her to her room would be.

Hordak gives a curt shake of his head to clear his head and his jostled nerves. It’ll be quick, he tells himself. He’ll be careful. He won’t wake her. It won’t be awkward.

It’s fine. He’s fine.

He can do this.

And without any more hesitation, Hordak reaches down and carefully picks her up. He holds her slightly- curled form tight against his chest with both arms wrapped underneath her warm body for support.

It’s fine. He’s fine. It’s-

Hordak’s ears droop as she nuzzles her head against his chest, humming softly to herself for a moment. The smallest of smiles appear on her lips, and to Hordak’s surprise, he watches as Entrapta’s ponytails carefully raise to wrap around various parts of his body.

He freezes in place at first in panic, thinking that maybe she had woken up. But then the soft smile falls away, she’s gone quiet again, and she appears just like she once was before when she was sleeping. However, the hair tendrils remain locked in place - albeit, very loosely and not like her usual firm grip, but still there nonetheless.

Can she, even when unconsciousness, sense the fact that she’s being held?

Hordak fights the blush warming on his cheeks, but it’s a losing battle.

With careful movements so as to not jostle her awake, he exits his sanctum and heads down the hall towards her room. It’s fortunately nearby - she was given that room so she could have quicker access to Hordak’s sanctum every day. But it looks like, given his current situation, that’s not the only convenience.

Before long, he reaches the metal sliding door that would be the entrance to her room, and he shuffles in using the override code on the keypad.

He’s never been in her room before, but if asked to describe her room beforehand, he’d probably paint a fairly accurate picture to the one currently displayed in front of him. Lots of random bits of tech thrown about the place, a pile of blueprints growing in a section of the floor, some scattered paperwork here and there. That one robot of hers - Emily - is found charging in one corner and giving off a low mechanical hum in the process, though a circular indent on top of her bed probably means that the bot was recently sitting atop it instead. 

Speaking of her bed, it’s nothing too extravagant - all that decorates it are two plump pillows and a large soft blanket crumpled at the end of the bed. Right above the bed’s headboard, Hordak can see photographs of her, Force Captain Scorpia, and Force Captain Catra taped up on the walls, and besides the bed sits a simple dresser that probably holds her other clothes.

Entrapta shifts a little in Hordak’s hands then, snapping him back to focus. He’s not here to examine her room - he’s here with a purpose.

He heads to her bed and, as slowly and carefully as possible, rests her on top of it. She doesn’t really protest - the hair tendrils fall off Hordak, effectively releasing him from her loose grasp, as she sinks into the bed’s mattress. She mumbles something incomprehensible under her breath, her eyebrows furrowing together for a moment, before she turns on her side and curls her legs up a bit towards her chest. 

Hordak holds his breath, waiting. But to his relief, she seems to stay asleep.

He releases his breath slowly, and the tension drains from his body. He takes hold of the blanket at the end of the bed and drapes it over her before finally turning around and preparing to leave the room. He makes it to the door, and then-

Something cold nudges against his leg.

Hordak jumps, biting back a shocked yell so as to not wake Entrapta. His gaze snaps to his leg, and that’s when his eyes lock with Emily who’s beeping softly and now repeatedly bumping against his leg.

“What?” Hordak hisses.

Honestly, Hordak doesn’t know what he’s expecting as a response - it’s not like the bot can really answer him. Maybe he’s just so used to Entrapta treating Emily like a person that he himself had adopted that belief. Besides, he  _ does _ know she’s somewhat sentient in a way because of the way she was reprogrammed. Regardless, he still feels awfully foolish for even trying to talk to the thing.

As expected, Emily doesn’t really answer. She simply beeps again, but this time, the beep is louder, and it echoes throughout the room. It's even loud enough to make Hordak cringe in fear that the noise woke Entrapta.

He glances towards her bed to find her still asleep. Maybe she’s used to Emily and her loud noises.

“I’m not Entrapta - I don’t know what your incessant noises mean,” he huffs out.

Emily gives a low whir at that before stalking off towards the bed and sitting beside it. She looks back at Hordak before beeping again and again and again, their tones softer and almost...sorrowful? Worried, in a way?

Hordak quirks a brow. “I...I’m failing to understand…”

Emily faces Entrapta sleeping in the bed, and then Hordak standing by the door. Entrapta, and then Hordak. Entrapta, and then Hordak. Again and again, beeping and beeping, and all Hordak can do is watch and stare and try to understand why the bot is acting so strange.

“I really don’t get what you are trying to say,” Hordak says, clenching his fists by his side in a sudden burst of frustration. “You are confusing me.”

Emily gives a low whir, almost akin to a sigh, before carefully crawling in the bed right besides Entrapta and powering down into some sort of standby mode. Entrapta seems to subconsciously notice the bot’s presence, even in sleep, for she scoots in closer against Emily and hums softly - just like she did before when Hordak originally held her in his arms.

And there’s that damn blush again on his cheeks at the memory - the memory of the warmth of her body, the way the ponytails wrapped around him, the soft sigh of contentment, the small smile, the nuzzling against his chest. Hordak’s ears flick down as he looks away, trying to fight the warmth off his face.

Yet again, it’s a losing battle.

Hordak shakes his head to himself as he faces the opening door. And with one last glance at Entrapta still tucked safely in bed, he finally exits her room.

He still doesn't know why Emily was acting so strange, but at least Entrapta  _ seemed  _ okay. Maybe the bot just had a glitch? Or maybe it was confused seeing Hordak in her room?

No matter. He has work to do now.

And that means no more distractions.

**_~~~_ **

“No more distractions” lasts for about two hours.

He actually makes decent progress in that time - even without Entrapta. He’s able to stay focused for the most part and get some work done, and while it’s not as much as he would normally do with his lab partner’s assistance, it’s still admirable considering the circumstances.

Even Imp isn’t being distracting for once; he simply watches from afar, perched on his favorite pipe that overlooks the entire sanctum. He doesn't mimic any voices, doesn’t screech or yip, nothing - he only watches.

Though, with Imp’s quietness, the sanctum  _ does  _ get eerily silent in ways that Hordak can’t help but despise. He used to hate noise, finding it distracting. But from his time with Entrapta, he’s gotten so  _ used  _ to  her voice and the constant noise that the sudden absence of it is, oddly enough, distracting.

And with the heavy silence as he works comes intrusive thoughts to fill the quiet void in his mind - thoughts that aren’t bad in any way, but nonetheless distracting.

Entrapta’s warmth in his arms.

Her faint smile.

Her smooth skin he could feel in his hands.

Her soft muttering as she snuggled closer against his chest and-

Hordak finds himself silently cursing to himself often to shut off his wandering mind. 

But despite everything, despite the strange silence and wandering thoughts and absence of his lab partner, Hordak makes great progress and is never  _ completely  _ distracted. And after two hours of working, he leans back on his heels and admires his current work - various blueprints that they can apply to the portal’s final furnishings tomorrow.

At this rate, maybe he can even start applying it now? Entrapta is very skilled in that matter, but he could at least get start-

Something cold nudges against his leg.

This time, Hordak can’t help the sharp yell as fear pulses through him. His eyes snap downwards, and much to his surprise, he finds the same bot once again bumping and beeping and nudging against his leg.

“Emily?”

Emily grows even louder - even more so than before in Entrapta’s room. Constant beeps in loud tones, whirring and clicking, nonstop bumping and nudging. Hordak steps back in confusion, but the bot follows suit and continues ramming into his leg once more.

“What-“ Hordak begins, his eyes widening, “What are you doing? How did you even get in here?”

Hordak looks up to see Imp perched on a nearby pipe. He smirks a bit before shrugging as if confused, though his expression remains coy and knowing.

That explains who let Emily into his sanctum, then.

Hordak looks back down at the bot who continues her little rampage. He simply watches, eyes wide and mouth agape in complete confusion. And the longer he doesn’t react, the more agitated Emily seems to get. Before long, the whole sanctum is filled with her racket and the following echoes that bounce off the walls.

“Can you-...Stop it, I don’t understand-...Can you just be quiet?”

Emily doesn't listen, but Hordak isn’t surprised. She just keeps going and going, and as the moments drag by, frustration begins to build up within him. He tries to hold it back, tries to stay calm, but it keeps growing and growing and building and building and-

“ENOUGH!”

_ That _ finally stops Emily. She freezes in place, looks up at Hordak, and then stalks off in the front door’s direction. However, after she makes a few steps, she freezes and looks back at Hordak before beeping loudly once more.

“I told you,” Hordak begins, trying to keep his voice even, “I’m not Entrapta. I don’t understand you like she does. I don’t get what you are trying to say.”

Emily doesn’t make any noise in response; instead, she takes another few paces towards the door before stopping once more and looking back at Hordak. She does that again. And again.

Finally, like a scattered puzzle coming together, it all clicks into place in his mind.

“Do you want me to follow you? Is that it?”

Emily chirps happily in response before making a beeline towards the door.

That must be a yes, then.

**_~~~_ **

It doesn’t take long for Hordak to realize where Emily’s taking him. The familiar turns, the walls he earlier passed by, the same direction he took when he was carrying Entrapta a couple hours prior to now...

“Are you taking me to Entrapta’s room?”

Emily beeps in answer, sparing him a glance, and then whips around the last turn that leads towards Entrapta’s room.

Hordak follows suit, and together, they walk down the last corridor and reach her room. The door is locked once more, and Hordak brings his hand up to immediately unlock the key’s code.

But then, he stops.

Emily whirs, nudging his leg in confusion.

“I can not just...go in there,” Hordak says. “It’s a breach of privacy with her asleep inside. Why do you want me to go in, anyway? I still don’t-“

A faint sound heard through the door cuts off his words.

Hordak’s ears snap up in response. His brow narrows as he stares at the door, wondering if he had simply imagined it or if he truly heard something. Emily falls silent beside him, and he shuts his mouth as well, waiting.

It happens again. And this time, with Hordak focusing, he can hear it better. Define what it is.

A sob. A pained, muffled sob coming from inside the room.

“Is that…” Hordak’s words catch in his throat, and he swallows before continuing. “Is that Entrapta?”

Emily beeps in affirmation before bringing her large body right up against the door, anxious and hurried to enter with Hordak.

But that would be...That would be a breach of privacy, wouldn’t it? He can’t just-

Another sob interrupts Hordak’s measly train of thought. His ears droop at the terrible sound, brow furrowing as worry courses through his veins. And as he stands there, the cries continue - soft and gentle, though able to be heard through the door nonetheless. Able to leave Hordak with his claws hovering over the keypad, ready to unlock it with the override code in a second.

But...It’s a breach of privacy. He shouldn’t, he  _ shouldn’t. _

Another sob through the door. Another chorus of cries and whimpers. Another pang of fear and worry stabbing into Hordak.

He shakes his head at himself.

Like hell he’ll just  _ leave  _ her like this.

So at that, he quickly unlocks the door with the override code and rushes inside the cluttered room. Emily eagerly follows right behind, beeping all the way.

His scarlet eyes immediately fall to the bed. There, he finds Entrapta still curled up under the blanket. However, it’s now thrashed about and crumpled closer towards her waist, and Hordak can see the way her chest heaves slightly with each gentle sob, can see the pained expression on her face, can see the glistening sheen of tears on her cheeks. 

“Entrapta?” Hordak whispers, rushing towards the bed.

She doesn't wake, doesn’t even stir. And without a clue on what to do, Hordak meekly watches as her gloved fingers dig into the mattress and as her violet hair that’s still held in loose ponytails shifts about on the bed, jarring this way and that. Never calm, never still, but always moving and tensing up. 

Hordak’s hand hovers over her shuddering shoulder. He could shake it and easily wake her that way, he knows. But once again, they’ve still never really broken that touch barrier - at least not since before today, and even then, she wasn’t even _ awake.  _ The situation was different, too. He feels uneasy, his hand hovering there only mere inches away from her warm skin.

So instead, he tries speaking again, his tone holding a bit more strength this time. 

“Entrapta?”

To Hordak’s surprise, she shakes her head against the pillow, and her fingers become balled fists atop the mattress.

“N...N-No,” she mutters between soft sobs, her words barely comprehensible, “I’m not...I’m more th-than…”

Hordak’s blood runs cold. His eyes widen in fear as he continues to watch without knowing what to do, how to react, how to  _ wake her. _ He’s not trained in this kind of thing - not in the slightest. He’s not even  _ familiar  _ with this type of predicament, having never had to deal with those that are not his own. He’s aware it’s a nightmare or something of the sort; but, he’s  _ not  _ aware on the ways to  _ console  _ others during one.

Not helping matters, Emily’s beeping continues to drone on beside him like a panicked alarm. And all Hordak can focus on amidst the beeping is Entrapta’s cries that keep echoing within the small room, the tears that are still trailing down her cheeks, the way her body tenses with each shudder, the deep frown set on her lips and furrow between her brows.

And all of a sudden, Hordak can’t help the fiery burst of fear that snaps through him like a dam broke free.

“ENTRAPTA!”

Her eyes pop open with a gasp. She jumps upright in the bed, her hair curling in on herself and her fingers digging into the mattress so hard Hordak’s certain the knuckles have gone white under those gloves. And as her ruby eyes dart about the room in a wild panic, another stream of tears soundlessly trails down her cheeks.

“W-what’s-“

Her gaze lands on Hordak - and just like that, the harsh tension in her hair releases. Her grip on the mattress lessons. She blinks a few more tears away.

“Hordak?” she asks, her voice gone soft.

Hordak’s ears flatten at the frailty in her tone and in her watery gaze, and at the way her body shudders ever-so-slightly atop the mattress. Something stirs in his soul, and he finds himself stepping ever closer towards the edge of her bed.

“I’m sorry I disturbed your sleep,” he says, bowing his head a bit. “But, you seemed to be in distress.”

A hint of blush appears on her cheeks as her hair loosely curls back up. It wraps around her now drawn-up legs atop the bed, almost as if surrounding herself in the hair for comfort or protection. And as she uses the back of her hand to wipe away the remaining tears on her cheeks, she glances away, looking at the wall beside her as if there’s anything truly important there worth staring at. There isn’t.

“I...I wasn’t. I mean, I was, but it’s okay,” she mumbles between shaky breaths, mindlessly holding onto a loose strand of purple hair and running her fingers through it.

Hordak’s eyes narrow in disbelief. “Entrapta, you’re shaking.”

She wordlessly looks down at her body - her body which is, in fact, still shaking. She lets go of her hair and instead wraps her arms around her drawn-up knees, as if trying to still the tremors herself. It doesn’t seem to be working out very well.

“I’m alright,” she mutters. “It’s not a big deal.”

Hordak’s eyes widen in surprise.

_ Not a big deal? _

“Entrapta, you were…You were clearly distressed, and…” he stumbles over his words, trying to figure out how exactly to articulate his scattered thoughts. He thinks of the cries heard through the door, the tears streaming down her cheeks, the pain in her face, the death grip on the mattress.

And it’s  _ not a big deal? _

She finally brings her eyes back then - scarlet colored eyes, akin the deep rosy hue of exotic flowers Hordak had once seen on a faraway planet. Both equal in their stunning color, both equal in the way they hold Hordak entranced.

“I’m...Well, I’m used to it,” is all she says, words slow and fatigued.

Hordak slightly cocks his head to the side.  _ Used to it? How could she be used to it? This isn’t some common occurrence that… _

His train of thought falls away. Because just like that, the puzzle pieces all click into place.

“Is this why your behavior has been so strange lately?”

Entrapta’s eyebrows furrow together, her expression growing defensive. “What do you mean?”

“You seem more careless than usual, and much quieter as you work, too. Your whole demeanor has shifted,” he states off like some sort of list. “It’s because you’re fatigued, aren’t you? You haven’t been sleeping lately, and it’s...It’s because of  _ this  _ happening often now, am I correct?”

Her eyes fall away, and her lips stay in a thin line. He knows - even in her current shaken state - that she understands what  _ this  _ refers to.

It’s  _ nightmares _ .

“...Yeah.”

That’s all she says. Her eyes remain unfocused and fallen somewhere on the bed as she once again grabs hold of her hair and runs her shuddering fingers through it. Hordak watches in a heavy silence as she takes a few deep breaths, visibly trying to pull herself back together.

“You don’t have to be here,” she suddenly blurts out. “There’s more important things for you to tend to. Not...Not this.”

Hordak opens his mouth to speak, but a tendril of hair lazily snaps up to his mouth and shushes him.

“I really am okay,” she continues. Finally, she draws her eyes back up, and they lock with Hordak’s. “You don’t have to worry. I’m sorry for bothering you or interrupting you if you were working on something.”

Hordak scowls. “Entrapta, you are never a nuisance to me. Yes, I was working, but once the bot- uh, Emily, came to me, I was fine with leaving my work for a little while. It’s not a problem at all.”

Emily beeps with glee at the mention of her name, and Entrapta’s gaze grows soft as she watches the bot crawl into her bed and plop down right beside her. One tendril of hair lifts up to fondly pet the robot, and once more Emily chirps a low tune and nuzzles against Entrapta’s body.

“She usually has been waking me up lately when she can tell I’m upset,” Entrapta says with a shrug. Her voice falls quiet as she mutters, “I guess this time she couldn’t wake me.”

And just like that, it all makes sense.

_ That’s why Emily was acting up earlier when Hordak originally dropped Entrapta off in her room. _

_ She guessed this would happen again and was trying to give a warning. _

Hordak blinks back to focus in time to see Entrapta bring her eyes up to meet Hordak’s, and the faintest of sad smiles pulls up the corners of her lips.

“So since she couldn’t, she went to get you…” She says, her words fading away into a heavy silence.

Hordak’s ears droop, and a harsh warmth comes upon his cheeks. He tears his gaze away then, letting it fall to the cluttered floor.

“Uh, yes. Yes, she did.”

The room floods with quietness when neither of them add onto that. They simply remain in silence for a few moments, gazes averted and mouths snapped shut.

Hordak wants to say something.  _ Knows  _ he should say something. But his mind is frozen, his thoughts can’t seem to form correctly, and all he can do is stare, stare, stare at the ugly floor. At the blueprints, the bits of tech, the random pieces of paperwork.

He  _ needs  _ to say something. He  _ needs  _ to help her feel better.

Isn’t that...Isn’t that what lab partners do?

What  _ friends  _ do?

Hordak shakes his head to himself before  _ finally _ opening his mouth to speak out in a rush.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Entrapta's gaze flickers up to meet his. “About what?”

“Your...distress. The nightmare,” Hordak clarifies, cringing inwardly at himself at the way his words were spoken much more awkwardly than intended. He swallows, trying to even his tone, and then adds, “That will help you feel better, will it not?”

She looks away. In a simple sweep, she uses a small tendril of hair to flick down her welding mask, effectively hiding her expression from Hordak.

“It’s okay,” she says, her tone echoing underneath the mask. “Really, Hordak. I’m not...good, I guess, at talking about these things. Especially with other people. I mean, robots are one thing, but people can be…”

Her words trail away, and Hordak can faintly hear her suck in some air before breathing out her next words.

“Judgy.”

Hordak stiffens at first before shaking his head, inching forward even closer towards the edge of Entrapta’s bed.

“I will not judge you,” he states, looking into the blank red circles of Entrapta’s welding mask and wishing all the while that he could lift it up and see her expression. But she brought the mask down for a reason, he knows, and clearly it’s more comfortable for her that way. Maybe she doesn't  _ want  _ him to see her expression.

She’s quiet for a moment as two small strands of her hair start to twirl around each other, around and around and around. She turns her head to face the wall, but still, her expression is concealed by the mask, so perhaps the movement to face away was done purely out of instinct.

The silence draws out for a while, and Hordak starts to wonder if she’s ever going to respond. Until, finally, she speaks softly.

“Well, at least sit down.”

He freezes in place at the suggestion, unsure of how to go about this. He could sit on the edge of the bed, but that would be kind of distant and awkward. Though, perhaps distance is good in this scenario? Well, then maybe he could-

All of a sudden, Entrapta props both pillows up and scoots over on the bed, prompting a wordless invitation for him to sit there on the side not beside the wall. Hordak’s train of thought cuts off at the sight of this, and internally shaking the initial fear off, he gets on the bed and sits over the covers. He doesn’t want to be  _ too  _ imposing, after all.

The bed is now full with Entrapta on one side, Hordak on the other, and Emily now sitting down at the end of the bed to make room for both of them. The bot rests comfortably between their shins and gives off a small beep before powering into a standby mode.

Entrapta relaxes her back against the pillow, and Hordak follows suit albeit a bit hesitantly. He feels so foreign, so out of place in her bed, and trying to act completely natural isn’t working out very well for him. He’s far too stiff atop the mattress and covers, and his limbs feel rigid and awkwardly placed. And while he thankfully isn’t wearing his armor right now - armor which would certainly be too bulky for the bed - he  _ still  _ feels as if he’s taking up too much space.

He knows the worries are all in his head, but... _ still _ . The anxious thoughts and nerves remain there, and they don’t seem ready on releasing him.

“So…” Entrapta begins, her face directed forwards and tilted down towards her legs underneath the blanket.

Hordak doesn’t say anything. He simply looks at her, looks at the blank mask still covering her face.

“It’s...stupid.”

Hordak shakes his head lightly. “It can not be stupid, Entrapta. I assure you.”

“It’s just...What I see in my nightmares…” she says, pausing every few words as if trying to collect her thoughts, “Is from so  _ long  _ ago. I should be over it by now. And I thought I was - I mean, I was for a long time. But now, suddenly I’m  _ not  _ over it, and it’s all just...It’s just stupid.”

She shrugs then, letting out a brief sigh.

Hordak remains quiet for a few moments to see if she’ll continue, but when she doesn’t, he opens his mouth to speak.

“What is the ‘it’ you are referring to?”

She shifts her head to face him, and Hordak is left staring into the hollow red eyes of her welding mask. However, it’s only for a brief second; before long, she’s facing forward again and seeming to want to look  _ anywhere  _ except at Hordak.

“My...parents,” she mumbles.

“Your parents?” Hordak prods, his tone gentle in a way that he wasn’t sure could be so gentle anymore. “What about your parents?”

She fully turns her face away then to stare at the wall, and all Hordak can see is the back of her head.

“They didn't like me very much.”

_ What? _

Some awful feeling - sorrow, perhaps? - suddenly makes home in Hordak’s gut. His brow furrows together as that awful feeling, mixed with a brewing anger starting to simmer in his veins, begins to overwhelm him.

“What?” he spits out, his fists clenching by his sides. His tone remains cool and collected, though his words are sharp as they slice through the heavy air. “Why would they not? They are your parents, and you are-“

“They said I was broken. A mistake.”

Hordak snaps his mouth shut.

“ _ That’s  _ what I see in my nightmares. It’s...It’s stupid, because it’s just words, but...words hurt,” she explains, her tone meek. “They’ve said  _ so  _ much to me, and I can almost still hear their voices and see their faces.”

She shrugs again.

“The memories never really go away.”

The room falls into silence for a few moments. Silence that’s heavy, that closes in on them, that almost makes Hordak feel as if he’s suffocating.

Finally, wanting to shatter the quiet, Hordak speaks up.

“Where are your parents now?” he asks. “Are they still alive?”

She shakes her head, finally bringing it back to face Hordak. Though, the mask remains on.

“No, they’re not. They actually died when I was pretty young in an accident,” she says. “I built robots to replace them - super nice ones, too. Those robots raised me in my later years, and I loved them a lot.”

Hordak can’t help the soft smile at the thought of young Entrapta - young Entrapta with the same pure love of robots and science and all things tech, even in her child years.

“I always wished those robots were my real parents,” she says, her thumb and forefinger starting to rub the blanket between them. “They didn’t call me names or yell at me when I didn’t understand something right away. They didn’t make me feel dumb - not in the way my biological parents did. I mean, I felt like I was always messing up with them, and I never seemed to understand what they wanted. I was always just so...confused. And that made it even  _ worse _ , because if I was confused, then that…”

Her words fall away as she slumps against the pillow.

“That meant they were right. That I  _ am _ broken.”

_ Broken? _

The buzzing rage that simmered in his veins and built up this entire conversation suddenly shoots out at that like a dam burst free. And before he can stop himself, words are flooding forth as if all thoughts held back before are now a gushing waterfall.

“Broken? Entrapta,  _ they _ are fools!  _ You  _ are the opposite of anything considered broken!” he cries out. “Just because some things don’t come to you as easily as others doesn’t make you worthless, or a mistake, or any of that! It’s just who you are, and to me, you are-“

_ Beautiful. _

Hordak freezes, for a recent memory of Entrapta and the words she had spoken to him then suddenly flood his mind. Her easy smile, the gentleness in her ruby eyes, the way her long lilac hair floated in the colorful air as sparks flew around the portal. Her voice as smooth as silk, reaching his ears despite the utter focus he had on her face.

_ “And imperfection is beautiful...At least to me.” _

Hordak blinks back to reality, finding himself once more staring into the bright red circles of Entrapta’s welding mask. The air is thick around them, waiting. Waiting for him to say what he really  _ wants  _ to say to her, waiting for him to explain what he thinks whenever he sees her face.

_ Beautiful. _

In the end, Hordak simply swallows to clear his throat - and, with that, his initial thought on how to finish his sentence. Instead, he says something safer yet still truthful all the same.

“You are more than what you parents said. They certainly are wrong, for you are one of the most intelligent people I know,” he says, “and you are far from broken, Entrapta.”

She finally flips her mask up at that, and Hordak is left staring into those rosy red eyes once again. They shine like the wondrous stars Hordak remembers from his travels through space, and they soften the longer they gaze into Hordak’s eyes. She doesn't say anything, though a gentle smile comes upon her lips and a faint blush colors her cheeks.

Hordak smiles a bit to himself as well, and then he adds, “Entrapta, if you are broken, then I must be an entire wreck.”

Her eyes widen in shock as she straightens up in bed. “That’s not true! Don’t say that!”

“Then promise you will never say that about yourself, either,” Hordak says, his tone barely above a whisper.

She relaxes once more against the propped-up pillow, effectively slumping into the mattress. And with a nod and a sheepish grin, she answers him.

“I promise.”

Hordak nods as well, and they’re left in a peaceful silence for a few moments, staring at each other with soft gazes. Both of them seem to be afraid to make the move that will shatter this peace; so, they remain still and unmoving, letting the welcome tranquility drag on.

However, Hordak quickly realizes that he  _ should  _ probably leave now. Entrapta needs sleep, he knows, and he shouldn’t overstay his welcome in her bed. They accomplished their little goal, after all - Entrapta talked through her feelings, and now he should go.

_ Right? _

So, albeit a bit hesitantly, Hordak shatters the quiet like a hammer striking once-perfect glass.

“I should go and get back to work,” Hordak says, moving to step off of her bed. His feet plant on the floor, and as he stands, he continues, “And you need to rest. That way, you can be more efficient in work and overall healthier-“

“Wait!”

At the sudden cry, Hordak snaps his head back to face Entrapta on the bed. He watches as a tendril of her hair darts out to wrap around his waist, and as he brings his eyes up to study her face, he finds the expression to be pleading, even  _ saddened. _

“You don’t...You don’t  _ really  _ have to leave, do you?” she asks, her tone terribly meek. “I mean, work can wait just a bit, right?”

Hordak quirks a brow in thought. “Well, it could, but-“

She cuts him off as she continues, warmth creeping onto her cheeks, “I just think I’d feel better if I had some company. A-and normally after these things I can’t fall back asleep, but maybe if I wasn’t alone I could actually manage to, and I...I mean...I don’t know.”

Hordak’s eyes widen ever-so-slightly at the implications of her words. He glances down at his wrist - the wrist that’s still tightly gripped with a strong lock of purple hair.

“You...want me to stay?”

“It can just be until I fall asleep!” she bursts out, waving her hands for extra affect. “But I...Well…”

She sighs, looking down at her lap and obviously avoiding Hordak’s gaze.

“...Yeah. I do. Want you to stay, I mean.”

Something stirs in Hordak’s gut. He doesn’t know what it is - all he knows is that it’s...warm. It’s warm in a way that Hordak doesn’t understand, that he’s never experienced before.

He studies Entrapta for a second, still not able to catch her gaze. He studies the way her eyebrows are furrowed in fear of rejection, the way the corners of her lips are turned down, the way her cheeks remain tinted red. He studies the way her fingers rub the blanket that rests over her body, the way her hair starts to curl in on herself as if on instinct to shield her.

And Hordak can’t seem to pull his eyes away from studying her as he opens his mouth to speak.

“Okay. I will stay.”

Her gaze snaps up to meet his. All doubt and fear seem to abandon her as she beams up at him - her wide eyes shimmer with glee, a bright smile lights up her features, and her fists rock back and forth by her face in an excited motion.

“You will?” she exclaims, words awed and laced with joy. “Really?”

Hordak smirks down at her. “Only if you promise you’ll sleep.”

She nods frantically. “I will, I will! Don’t worry!”

With that, using her hair for support, she climbs out of bed and moves towards her dresser. She takes off her welding mask and rests it on top of the wooden surface, and she next pulls off her arm covers, gloves, shoes, and socks. From there, she steps out of her overalls, leaving her dressed only in her form-fitting white undershirt and black shorts. The rest of her clothes all get stuffed into one of the drawers.

And then, to Hordak’s surprise, she pulls out both hair bands that held her ponytails upright. Without the elastics support, her hair falls down and becomes free-flowing thick locks of purple. They reach the floor, dragging a bit behind her and framing her body.

Hordak stares. He stares at her figure and the curves of her waist, the toned muscles in her bare legs and arms, the various pale scars and blemishes that appear here and there on her otherwise perfect skin. He stares at her uncovered hands that are usually hidden by gloves, noticing the way that while they’re small and stocky, they’re free of any blemishes or imperfections.

And then he stares at her face. Her face which is pointed somewhere else - at the top of the dresser, where she is currently putting down the hair bands.

“Sorry if the hair gets to be...a lot,” she says, turning her attention back towards Hordak still standing there by the edge of the bed. She easily maneuvers her way around his body with a few tendrils of hair, and she crawls into the bed and under the covers in her previous spot. “My head kind of needs a little break every once in a while from holding the ponytails up for so long, and I haven’t taken them out in forever. So…”

“It’s fine,” Hordak manages to get out as he whips around, facing the bed once more. “It’s not a problem.”

Not at all.

Entrapta looks up at him, an expectant look on her face. She lifts up the blanket in an invitation as she asks, “Well? Are you just going to stand there?”

Hordak freezes for a moment before quickly shaking his head, both to clear his mind and his nerves.

“N-no, I’m not.”

So, with that, Hordak steps into the bed and crawls under the covers. They’re warm - probably from Entrapta’s natural body heat. Hordak has no need for warmth, but the sensation of heat is still pleasant and inviting.

Entrapta pulls down her pillow then, resting it flatly on top of the mattress once more, and Hordak follows suit. He rests on his back and watches out of the corners of his eyes as Entrapta shifts about, trying to get into a comfortable position. It turns out to be the one she went into earlier when she was sleeping - resting on her side, legs curled up slightly. Her hair is left behind her and pressed flat against the wall, though a few loose tendrils drap over her shoulder and midriff.

It’s silent for a moment before Entrapta breaks the silence.

“Thanks,” she says, prompting Hordak to turn his head and look at her. They lock gazes, and she continues, “For staying.”

Hordak can’t fight back the small smile that creeps onto his lips. “If it will help you sleep, then it is no problem.”

At that, Entrapta scoots in. Just an inch.

“I really mean that, though. After all, you don’t  _ have _ to stay. I mean, I know we’re almost done with the portal, and all we’re waiting on is that last needed tech and finishing touches. But, instead of tending to that, you’re…”

Her words trail off as a smile lights up her face.

“You’re here. For me.”

Hordak’s ears droop against his will, and he finds the smallest of smiles making way on his lips. A smile he tries to fight back but can’t manage to do so the longer he looks at Entrapta‘s beaming face.

“I bet you don’t even  _ need  _ to sleep,” Entrapta says. She quirks a brow, adding, “Do you? Does your species require sleep? I know every night you spend some down time in your personal room, but are you sleeping, or…?”

“We don’t require it nearly as often as Etherians, but it’s still a nice activity we can partake in and do so every few days,” he clarifies.

Entrapta nods, opening her mouth to speak, but she’s quickly cut off by a yawn. 

“I wish I didn’t require it,” she then says, her eyes closing for a few seconds before she blearily blinks them back open. “Imagine all the projects I could complete at night with so much more free time! It would really boost my productivity.”

Hordak chuckles softly. “Well, you  _ do  _ require it, I’m sorry to say.”

Entrapta fully closes her eyes at that, humming a bit in response.

“Yeah, yeah, I know.”

She inches even closer.

Hordak holds his breath, looking down at her with wide eyes. They started out a friendly distance in the bed, and now they’re so close together that their shoulders are almost touching. Hordak can feel the warmth radiating off her body from here, and all he can remember is the same warmth from before when he held her. The memory is faint, yet intoxicating all the same. And just like that, the urge to get even closer rushes upon him.

She already made the first move by inching closer, didn’t she? She already showed an open invitation.

...Right?

So just like that, swallowing any remaining fears, he scoots in and closes the last bit of space between them.

Entrapta doesn’t even protest or seem shocked. She simply relaxes into Hordak’s side, her curled body molding against his to fit perfectly against it. Her head, along with one hand, lifts up then to rest against his chest, and Hordak watches as a few tendrils of hair move languidly to lace overtop Hordak’s midriff.

Initially, Hordak stills. But after a few moments of this pass, he relaxes once more into the mattress. He even slowly snakes his one hand up to rest on Entrapta’s upper back - a bit of a bolder move, yet one she doesn’t at all seem opposed to.

He hopes, at least.

“Is this...okay?” Hordak mutters to be certain, his voice low in case Entrapta had already fallen asleep.

She gives a short nod against Hordak’s chest and hums in affirmation, proving her consciousness. However, her eyes remain closed, and Hordak can hear her slowing breaths as they even out. Her heartbeat, which Hordak can feel where her chest rests against his midsection, is also slowing down into a more restful state as well.

Hordak grins a bit to himself as he stares down at Entrapta. She looks so content and small curled up against his body, and as he continues to gaze at her, a blooming warmth makes home in his body. And yet again, it’s not a bad warmth in any form.

It’s...a good one. The type of warmth Hordak hopes won’t go away. 

It’s also the type of warmth Hordak had never experienced before among his brothers and Horde Prime.

Not even his pride in his accomplishments ever gave him this sense of warmth or even sense of  _ peace.  _ He just feels so tranquil here, so at ease, that comparing the two environments - one a large spacecraft, the other a small bed with Entrapta curled up beside him - is like comparing night and day.

And one, Hordak realizes to his surprise, is certainly better than the other.

“Hey, Hordak?”

“Hmm?” Hordak asks, eyebrows raised.

“Do you know how I...got here?”

Her words are slow and slurred with drowsiness, and Hordak can tell she’s hardly awake. Still, her question makes no sense at all, and Hordak finds himself cocking his head to the side in confusion.

“How you got here?” Hordak repeats. “What do you mean?”

“In the bed,” she clarifies, voice terribly soft it’s almost impossible to hear. “I was working in the lab, I think. In the corner. And then...then I woke up here. How did I get here?”

Hordak becomes immensely grateful that Entrapta’s eyes are still closed, for a bright red blush colors his cheeks at Entrapta’s words as he realizes what, exactly, she’s talking about.

Because, truth be told, he  _ carried  _ her here. He carried her in his arms and tucked her into bed. However, telling her that just seems awfully...well, embarrassing. He could just not answer and hope she falls asleep, or he could lie. But that would be a terrible thing to do, wouldn't it? He never could find it in him to lie to her.

So, in the end, Hordak simply looks away. Fights the blush off the face. Tries to keep his words even.

“You were...carried. By me. I carried you.”

Hordak looks back to see Entrapta’s eyelids slowly flutter open. Her ruby red eyes, half-lidded with fatigue, wander over to meet Hordak’s. The air stills around them.

“You carried me?” she asks. A hint of awe laces her tone, and her eyes seem to sparkle ever-so-slightly.

Hordak swallows and nods. “Yes. I did.”

Her eyes fall shut once more as she relaxes fully against Hordak’s side. A small smile makes its way on her lips, and her features soften.

“You...carried me,” she whispers in a gleeful, almost sing-song tone. “Hm…”

The smile fades away at that, and Entrapta seems to finally fall asleep.

And there’s that blossom of warmth again, spreading throughout his body and filling him with some kind of feeling he can’t quite describe. Yet, at the same time, a feeling he never wants to go away.

Hordak glances up at the door then. He thinks about how Entrapta said he could leave once she had fallen asleep, and it appears she had, indeed, fallen asleep.

He could leave. He  _ should  _ leave and tend back to work.

Hordak hums in thought as he glances back down at Entrapta pressed tightly against his body. He studies the way those tendrils on his midriff seem almost to hold him there - sure, it’s a very loose grip, but they still seem to be  _ holding onto him  _ after all. He also studies her head and one hand resting upon his chest, and how at the very moment he would try to get up and out of bed, she would surely wake.

He then also thinks about the nightmares. Thinks about Entrapta having no one to wake her, thus leaving her with streaming tears on her face, terrible tension in her body and fingers that grip onto the mattress, those words from her parents stuck in her head...

He doesn’t like that thought.

So, maybe it would just be best if he stayed…?

Hordak relaxes his head against the one pillow. He holds Entrapta tighter against him. He closes his eyes and lets the pent-up stress from the day leave his tight muscles.

After all, his species does need sleep  _ sometimes _ , right?

And so, with the warmth of Entrapta’s body against his, the faint thudding of her slow heartbeat felt against his own body, and the sound of her soft snoring heard close by, he lets himself fall asleep. 

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!! i hope you all enjoyed <3 i definitely want to write more for them in the future, so i hope this is the first of many fics for these two :)
> 
> (also, come say hi on tumblr!! my user is beckkii on there!)


End file.
